Cinema of Genoa and the region
The first cinematographic views of the region date from the very beginning of the century, as Lumière operators criss-crossed Europe and the world. In 1904, they captured the nautical jousts in Genoa, much to the delight of international spectators. Then, in 1912, the entire city was the subject of a documentary, which today allows you to discover Piazza Corvetto, the Lanterna and Genoa Castle as they were over a hundred years ago. In the years that followed, Italian film production diversified, and Liguria toyed with the idea of becoming a major film region. Unfortunately, the landscape and proximity to Turin and France were not enough to convince producers, and film shoots remained few and far between. The rise of Fascism didn't help this already struggling industry, and it wasn't until the 1940s that any notable productions were made in the region. Vittorio De Sica shot his first feature film, Les Enfants nous regardent, in the seaside resort of Alassio in 1943 and 1944. A human drama, the film already heralded the neorealist vein of the director of The Bicycle Thief (1948), to name but one of his masterpieces. In 1948, thanks to a Franco-Italian co-production, René Clément filmed Jean Gabin on the port of Genoa in Beyond the Gates. The film, which was a huge hit on release, won the 1951 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. At the same time, Genoese artist Giuliano Montaldo began his acting career in Achtung, Banditi (1950) directed by Carlo Lizzani. Filmed in Genoa, this tale of resistance blends the city's settings with a thriller inspired by the true story of a group of Italian partisans led by Commander Vento. An impressive work in black and white. Montaldo moved behind the camera in 1960 with Tiro al Piccione, which won the Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and specialized in historical and political films. His film Dieu est avec nous (1970) was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and he received an Emmy Award for his mini-series Marco Polo in 1982. A few years earlier, Milanese director Dino Risi set down his camera in Liguria with Parfum de femme (1974), a social satire featuring the Caffè degli Specchi, one of Genoa's traditional cafés. Another of the region's leading figures is actor Paolo Villaggio, originally from Genoa, who worked with Fellini(La Voix de la lune, 1990), Olmi(Le Secret du vieux bois, 1993) and Vittorio Gassman(Sans famille, 1972). A great comic actor known to all Italians for his satirical character Ugo Fantozzi, he was awarded the Golden Lion in Venice in 1992 for his entire career. Finally, as you leave the regional capital, you can immerse yourself in the settings of Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders' Beyond the Clouds (1995). A four-part film, the second part of which was shot in Portofino, in which the director draws on his personal experience to recount the encounter between a filmmaker (John Malkovich) and a young girl with a dark secret (Sophie Marceau). These are just some of the nuggets of Italian cinema to be discovered without delay.
When the cinema invites itself on the Ligurian coasts
While domestic films focus mainly on the region's cities, international shoots mainly visit Liguria for its beaches and villages perched on cliffs or in the hollows of the waves. As early as 1925, a young filmmaker by the name of Alfred Hitchcock shot the beginning of his very first film, The Garden of Pleasure, in Genoa, then settled in Alassio, before moving on to Lake Como in neighboring Lombardy.
Much later, in the 1990s, it was once again a Briton who put the coasts of Liguria in the spotlight in Enchanted April (1992). Mike Newell - who went on to direct Four Weddings and a Funeral - sets the action in Portofino's Castello Brown, where four Englishwomen in search of escape become roommates during a mild, sunny April.
More recently, Martin Scorsese gave the Cinque Terre villages one of their rare film appearances in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), as Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner (Jonah Hill) vacation with their wives. A funny anecdote: the few-minute scene uses shots of Portofino Marina and the port of Vernazza, as well as views of Riomaggiore, to create a single picturesque Italian village. All the beauty of the coast, Scorsese-style, in a single sequence. But the film that pays the greatest tribute to Cinque Terre is undoubtedly the animated Luca, produced by Pixar Studios and released in 2021. A story of friendship between a sea monster and a young boy set between land and sea in the fictional village of Portorosso, whose colors and facades are as beautiful as those of the villages that inspired director Enrico Casarosa. A filmmaker who has worked on such hits as L'Age de glace (2002), Là-haut (2009) and the touching short film La Luna (2011), and who was born in Genoa.
Places and film festivals in the region
While film shoots are few and far between, festivals abound in Genoa, La Spezia and the smaller towns along the coast. In Savona, Imperia or even Riomaggiore, you'll find screenings of short films, fantasy dramas or simply national and international cinema to satisfy your cinephile needs. Be sure to check the calendar before packing your bags. In Sestri Levante in particular, you can enjoy open-air screenings during the summer months. And if you're suffering from the heat, don't hesitate to take refuge in one of the many complexes in La Spezia or the coastal towns, or discover the cute little Cinema Cappuccini, hidden behind a church in Genoa. Perhaps you'll discover one of the cinema nuggets mentioned earlier? And why not make a discovery by one of the masters of Italian cinema, before feasting your eyes on sublime landscapes once again?
